Physical, Ecological Improvements Go Hand in Hand

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

President Joko Widodo (center, front row) plants vetiver on Monday (3/2/2020) at a farm in Pasirmadang village, Sukajaya district, Bogor regency, West Java, joined by West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil (left), Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya (second left) and Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono (second right). The roots of vetiver can reach 3-4 meters long, which help to prevent the loss of topsoil.

BOGOR, KOMPAS — After floods and landslides hit a number of areas in Bogor regency, West Java, as well as in several locations in Lebak regency, Banten, the government has sought to restore the lives of residents. In parallel, the government built the physical settlements for the displaced residents, while at the same time rebuilt with an ecological approach.

"In places where floods and landslides occurred, our approach is not just a physical approach, not just physical buildings but also those related to the vegetative," said President Joko Widodo when he visited the landslide location in Harkatjaya village, Sukajaya district, Bogor regency, Monday (3/2/2020) afternoon.

An area of 2,500 hectares in Pasirmadang village, Sukajaya district, will be planted with various hard trees, fragrant or vetiver roots, or productive trees. Some of the seeds, such as cardamom and spices, were given by PT Sido Muncul. The company is also ready to collect the harvest for raw materials of its herbal medicine products.

As a marker, the President along with ministers and other officials jointly planted vetiver seedlings. Those who also planted the vetiver seedlings included Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) head Doni Monardo, Environment and Forestry Deputy Minister Alue Dohong, Java Barat Governor Ridwan Kamil and Bogor Regent Ade Yasin.

Alue Dohong said that around 190,000 seedlings would be planted on 2,500 hectares of land in two water catchment areas along the Cidurian Hulu and Ciberang rivers. All villages hit by flash floods and landslides in Lebak and Bogor in early January were part of the Cidurian and Ciberang water catchment areas.

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

A nursery worker carries a young plant past a row of vetiver seedlings in polybags on Monday (3/2/2020) in Sukajaya district, Bogor regency, West Java. As many as 192,000 seedlings of vetiver and other productive plants were distributed to local residents for regreening riverbank settlements along the Cidurian Hulu River and the Cibeurang River in Bogor and in Lebak, Banten, which were affected by floods and landslides in January.

In Lebak regency, the disasters struck 8 villages in Cipanas district, 4 villages in Lebak Gedong district, 1 village in Cimarga district, 8 villages in Sajira district, 3 villages in Curugbitung district, and 3 villages in Maja district. Meanwhile, in Bogor regency, the disasters occurred in 11 villages in Sukajaya district and 2 villages in Cigudeg district.

According to Doni, vetiver is effective for rehabilitating degraded land. Within a year, vetiver root length reahes about 1.5 meters. When optimal, its roots reach 4 meters. More than that, a vetiver planting system will also be designed in such a way so that a number of plants will bind to one another.

The residents, said Doni, were asked not to harvest fragrant roots on land with a slope of 30 degrees or more. For its replacement, the residents were encouraged to use fruit trees or various other plant seeds.

A similar approach to repairing degraded land, for example, has been carried out in the upstream of the Gajahmungkur Reservoir, Central Java, and Lake Toba, North Sumatra.

The President said that the dredging of sedimentation of reservoirs and lakes would be endless if the upstream areas were not repaired.

All mining areas must be closed and the holes be rehabilitated.

After the disasters, the government will no longer tolerate mining that leaves holes and damages land in Bogor and Lebak. All mining areas must be closed and the holes be rehabilitated.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said the miners were being questioned.

Permanent relocation

Relocation for the displaced residents on landslide-prone land is also awaiting location determination by the Bogor regent and the West Java governor. "If using PTPN (state-owned plantation company) land, I order the State-owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister to give it as soon as possible. Once land is cleared, the public work ministry enters. We are ready," said the President.

Piah, 32, a resident of Kampung Nyomplong, Kiarapandak village, Sukajaya, said the village was prone to landslides because it was under the hills. Because they do not want to stay longer in temporary accommodation centers in Pasir Walang village, she hoped that the government will provide permanent housing soon. "I don\'t know where I want to be moved to yet. Returning the village is impossible. The future is also unclear. We cannot continue to rely on help from volunteers," he said.

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

A worker tends to mahogany seedlings on Monday (3/2/2020) at a plant nursery in Sukajaya district, Bogor regency, West Java. As many as 192,000 seedlings of vetiver and other productive plants were distributed to local residents for regreening riverbank settlements along the Cidurian Hulu River and the Cibeurang River in Bogor and in Lebak, Banten.

Yuyun, 28, who lives in Kampung Sinar Harapan, Harkatjaya village, also awaited certainty over the relocation. The residents had been told to be relocated to Kampung Parigi, Sukajaya. However, so far there is still no certainty.

Yuyun and the evacuees from Sinar Harapan village were unable to return to their original residential areas because of a landslide that devastated their village, where seven people were killed. Their village has also been designated as a red zone or a disaster-prone zone. (INA/GIO)